ISLAMABAD, Sep 17 (APP):Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar on Thursday said the powers and jurisdiction of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) and the Supreme Court were clearly defined in the Constitution and there should be no ambiguity regarding their respective jurisdictions. Addressing a ceremony at the Lahore High Court (LHC) Bar Association, Rawalpindi Bench, the minister said establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court under the …
Jurisdiction of FCC, Supreme Court clearly defined in Constitution: Law Minister
ISLAMABAD, Sep 17 (APP):Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar on Thursday said the powers and jurisdiction of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) and the Supreme Court were clearly defined in the Constitution and there should be no ambiguity regarding their respective jurisdictions.
Addressing a ceremony at the Lahore High Court (LHC) Bar Association, Rawalpindi Bench, the minister said establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court under the 27th Constitutional Amendment was aimed at concentrating constitutional interpretation before a dedicated forum and ensuring uniformity in judicial interpretation.
He said the constitutional framework concerning the establishment and jurisdiction of the Federal Constitutional Court had been clearly laid down.
Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said the principle of equal representation of provinces had been adopted in the Federal Constitutional Court, while the constitutional framework also clearly defined constitutional cases falling within its jurisdiction and their interpretation.
He said making FCC decisions enforceable by all relevant courts was aimed at maintaining the rule of law and judicial consistency.
The minister observed that Pakistan was a federation comprising provinces with distinct social, cultural and regional circumstances, therefore appropriate representation of federating units was important in the judicial system as well.
He said amendments to the law had brought bar associations alongside bar councils within the scope of government support. The federal government had also increased grants allocated for bar councils and bar associations, he added.
The minister appreciated the Punjab government for increasing grants for bar councils and bar associations.
Referring to the Lawyers Protection Act, Senator Tarar said rules under the law had also been framed and effective implementation of the legislation remained among his priorities, with significant progress having been made in this regard.
The minister said the rapid expansion of private law colleges had created challenges and stressed the need to improve the quality of legal education and introduce an effective assessment system for entry into the legal profession.
He said the process of reforms in the legal sector had been initiated after 2015 and its impact would become more evident in the coming years.
Senator Tarar termed the increasing participation of women in the legal profession a positive development, saying women lawyers had become an important and active part of the legal community.
He urged lawyers not to allow political differences to overshadow their professional responsibilities, stressing that maintaining professional standards and dignity was a collective responsibility.
President Lahore High Court Bar Association, Rawalpindi Bench, Saeed Yousaf Khan, and Secretary General Qasim Mahmood Malik also addressed the ceremony.
Earlier, the minister was warmly received upon arrival at the Lahore High Court Bar, Rawalpindi. He also inaugurated two bar rooms at the association.
